"Who would object to fair, transparent elections? Everybody wants a fair, transparent election, and this I believe, I assure you."

"Who would object to fair, transparent elections? Everybody wants a fair, transparent election, and this I believe, I assure you"

Ahmad Ali Aboul Gheit,Egyptian foreign minister

But he added that in trying to reform the Middle East, it was crucial the US try to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"There is anger in the region, and we have to control that anger and we have to work on their anger to build Arab-American long-term relations," he said.

After the talks in Sharm al-Shaikh, which also touched on Iraq, Syria and Egypt's role in Gaza, Rice flew to Cairo to make a policy speech at the American University in Cairo.

She is expected to explain the shift in US policy away from stability in the Middle East to democracy in the region. The shift has gained momentum after some of the explanations for the decision to invade Iraq turned out to be baseless.

She will also meet Egyptian reformers who are expected to ask her to keep up the pressure on Mubarak for more political freedom.

Some main opposition groups, which also want reform but say Washington should stay out of Egypt's business, have not been invited to meet her.